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Elite dogs of war lead the way

A military working dog: the accessory-packed bullet-proof vest costs £20,000Adrian Cadiz/U.S. Air Force/Reuters

The first views that US Navy Seal commandos had of Osama bin Laden’s hiding place almost certainly came from a dog, the 80th member of the raiding party.

Like human commandos, the Seal dogs are highly trained and kitted out with the latest high-tech equipment, including a night-vision “helmet camera” that transmits the dog’s view of the situation back to its handler. The part played by the anonymous canine has sparked a flurry of interest in the fast-expanding role of what have inevitably been called the dogs of war.

“Seals are the deadliest fighting forces on the planet, and you’d better believe these dogs are the same,” said Brandon Tyler Webb, a former Seal dog handler. The breed depends on the duties: Belgian Malinois are…